Critical Study of Criminal Aspects of Law Number 8 of 1999 Concerning Consumer Protection

Globalization and free trade supported by advances in telecommunications and information technology have expanded the space for the flow of transactions of goods and / or services across national borders, so that the goods and / or services offered vary both in foreign production and production domestic. Such conditions on the one hand have benefits for consumers because consumers' needs for the desired goods and / or services can be met as well as increasingly wide-open freedom to choose various types and quality of goods and / or services in accordance with the wishes and abilities of consumers. The conditions and phenomena can cause the position of businesses and consumers to become unbalanced and consumers are in a weak position. In our daily lives we hear, read and even witness various business practices that are detrimental to consumers. Business practices that are detrimental to consumers are not only carried out by large-scale business actors, but also by medium-sized businesses and small business actors. Violations of consumer rights committed by business actors constitute a potential threat to the welfare of society, due to increased activity of business actors in the production and trade of goods and / or services to meet consumer needs if not monitored and weak law enforcement, consumers will be severely disadvantaged. For this reason, we need to understand the subject of legal protection to consumers through the explanation of Law No. 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection (UUPK), including a study of criminal aspects.